Fire Moon
by Firehawk242
Summary: It's been more than five years since the Second Eclipse war ended and the Classix have settled into normal lives. But, when troubles from their past return, they'll have to survive against an old evil with nothing but their wits and skill. REWRITE PENDING.
1. Wedding Day

**Here it is, the start of my next major series. The voting was close, with this beating out the story of Domino's Second Civil war by one vote. (Seven to six.) There were three votes for "other", and one vote for The Nature of Magic: Annihilation. I wonder if it would have changed the voting if I'd told you guys that Annihilation would have had Reyva's entire back story in the first chapter. Oh well, c'est la vie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club. I also do not own the song _A Love Like This_ by Dan Fogelberg.**

**Warning: This story is a sequel to my previous series, The Nature of Magic Trilogy. If you haven't read it... You're probably going to get very confused. Sorry.**

**Warning two: This story starts out with two women getting married to each other. As in, as soon as the Author's Note is over. If you are in any way offended by this: 1) I'm very sorry for you, 2) tough cookies, it's not changing, and 3) you should probably go find something else to read, because these two women are both major characters and the relationship is not going to fade into the background.**

**With that out of the way, let's get going.**

Artis stood at the altar that had been set up in Alfea's quad. Normally the school was empty for spring break, but the wedding had drawn many of the students. More than Artis, or anyone else for that matter, had expected. They'd already run out of chairs and there were still stragglers arriving. Artis fidgeted. She really didn't like crowds.

"Relax." Dhalia whispered in her right ear. "Or at least stop pulling at your dress. Nyssa would be very unhappy if all of her hard work was ruined at the last minute."

"I thought Stella made these."

"Nyssa designed them, remember?"

"Oh, right." Artis carefully brushed the long white dress back into order, then carefully clasped her hands behind her back, just under her long silver hair.

"Better." Dhalia said. "She'll be out in a minute, and then you can have the best day of your life."

* * *

The doors of Alfea opened and a very tall woman stepped through. She wore a gorgeous gown with a beautiful train, her black hair pinned back and covered with a veil. Her father escorted her out of the castle and down the aisle to the altar. A very muscular woman with jet black skin stood on her other side while two small children helped carry the train.

Artis could do nothing but look at the tall woman, discovering that eternal truth that there is nothing so beautiful as a bride on her wedding day.

* * *

Perdi stared at Artis as she and her father walked down the aisle. Reyva followed a half-step behind, keeping an eye on Perdi's niece and nephew as they helped with the train. Perdi hardly noticed any of them. She reached the makeshift alter and stood across from Artis.

Bloom, Fairy of the Dragon Flame, stepped forward. She would be officiating this ceremony for two of her old students. She smiled as she looked at the pair, then began to speak.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two young women in marriage. If there are any objections, please speak now or forever hold your peace." The silence was deafening. "Then we shall proceed. I have been asked to be brief, so I shall keep my speech short.

"These women have lived together, fought together, wept together, celebrated together, worked together, traveled together, and loved together. It is only proper that they should truly be together, from now until death do them part." She turned to her left and accepted a pillow with two rings on it from her daughter Cynthia. She held up the pillow and the couple each took one of the rings. Bloom gave the pillow back to her daughter.

"Do you, Artis Miranda Conte, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Athena Perdilla Sophus, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"Then I now pronounce you wife and wife!"

Artis slid her ring onto Perdi's finger. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." Perdi replied as she slipped her ring onto Artis's finger.

"You may kiss the bride."

* * *

The reception soon began in earnest. All the Alfea faculty were there, as were Perdi and Artis's many friends. Over on the stage Musa, the new headmistress of Alfea, was getting ready to perform. A dance area had been cleared, and now Artis and Perdi stepped out onto it, hand in hand. The first song began, soft and gentle.

_And now the lonely days are done  
_

Artis and Perdi simply hugged each other and slowly turned in a circle, eyes tightly closed.

_And with each rising of the sun, love begins anew  
__And if you ever ask me why I know that my love will never die  
__I'll say these words to you_

"I love you." Perdi said, her voice muffled by Artis's hair.

"I love you too." Artis said, speaking into Perdi's shoulder.

_Of all the souls I've ever known  
__Mine sings to yours and yours alone  
__And yours sings just to me_

Soft tears of joy trickled down their faces.

_In all this world I'l never find  
__A heart that could beat as close to mine  
__And this time I can see  
__A love like this is so hard to find  
__And so many never do  
__And loves like this, when they even exist  
__Are precious and few  
__You know they're precious and few_

The two newlyweds smiled at their little joke. This was their song. If it had a second meaning, that was fine. The chorus began to repeat.

_A love like this is so hard to find  
__And so many never do  
__And loves like this, when they even exist  
__Are precious and few  
__You know they're precious and few_

They pulled apart a short ways, just far enough to see each other's faces.

_Down the miles, through the_ years  
_Yours is the star by which I steer  
__The brightest star I've known_

Perdi gently whispered the next two lines to her new wife.

_And when I feel all hope is gone  
__Yours is the love that leads me on_

Artis whispered the last three lines of the song back.

_The light that guides me home  
_The light that guides me__ _home_  
_Your light will guide me home_

They shared a tear-stained kiss as the song ended.

The next song began as more people began to flow onto the dance floor.

* * *

The dancing came to an end, then came the speeches, the food, and, of course, the cake. Various wedding presents were presented, thank yous given, and soon clean up began. By the time the sun had set, only five people were left.

"I think that went well." Dhalia said.

"Yeah." Perdi said in slightly dreamy tone. She listed slightly to the side, more than slightly tipsy.

"Easy there girl." Reyva said, catching Perdi. "Come on, let's get you up to your room."

The girls started walking back towards Alfea, Artis and Reyva holding Perdi between them as Nyssa and Dhalia gathered up the trains of their dresses.

* * *

A light flared in Andros. The Omega/Altivix Portal opened, and a girl burst through. Her brown hair hung just past her shoulders and her eyes were a cloudy brown. She was wearing a very battered traveling outfit with a pair of broken swords sticking out of her belt. She flexed cautiously, as if unfamiliar with her own body, then smiled.

"Success." She said in a voice dripping with malice.

"Indeed." She said, this time in a man's deep voice.

She flicked her wrist and a black flame burst into existence over her palm. She laughed.

"No one escapes me." The two voices said in unison. She vanished in a burst of black fire.

**A/N: Perdi is now twenty three years old. Artis is either twenty two or one hundred and twenty two, depending on how you want to look at it. Reyva is also twenty three, while Dhalia is not quite twenty four. Physically speaking, Nyssa is currently twenty one. For reference, Bloom is forty one, although she only looks to be about twenty eight because fairies and other magical beings age more slowly than normal.**

**And yes, Perdi got drunk. **

**So, that's the start of the new series. I don't know how long this is going to be, or if there will be more than one book in this series, but I do have some interesting ideas I want to play with. See you all next time.**


	2. Newlyweds

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club. **

**Since this is a new series, I thought I'd get a few more chapters out quickly so I can get the story properly established. The update rate should slow down in a bit.**

**The question of the day seems to be why I made Musa the new headmistress of Alfea. Simple. I think she's the best qualified. The three candidates were Bloom, who's pretty much disqualified because she already has too many responsibilities as is, Flora, and Musa. Between Flora and Musa, I believe Musa to be the better choice as she's somewhat more level-headed and responsible. In fact, out of all the Winx, I believe Musa makes by far the best headmistress, even if you disregard other responsibilities. I like Bloom, but I still think Musa would do a better job. And because I'm the author, I get to make the final decision.**

**Now, on with the story!**

"So, how's married life so far?" Reyva asked. The Classix were gathered at a table in the great hall of Alfea. Two days had passed since Artis and Perdi's wedding and the women were getting ready to go back to their lives.

"It's... nice." Perdi said as she held Artis's hand.

"So, when's the honeymoon?" Dhalia asked.

"This summer." Artis said. "I still need to finish out and present my thesis at the University of Magix, and Perdi's stuck here until the school year's over."

"It would be a shame if I didn't finish my first year as Alfea's new librarian." Perdi said. "I don't want to let Barbatea down. This library was her world."

"Yeah, although I bet she's doing a fine job over at the Magix Archives." Nyssa said.

"So, what about you?" Artis asked. "How much longer will you be sticking around in Magix?"

"I have to get back to training." Reyva said. "I have a title to defend after all."

"And a record to break." Dhalia replied. "I heard you were less than fifteen minutes short of breaking the Wilderness Marathon record."

"Yep, eight days, twelve hours, forty-seven minutes. The record is eight days, twelve hours and thirty-four minutes."

"And you, Dhalia?" Perdi asked.

"I thought I'd take this opportunity to present some of Corvos and Sorice's newest products to the Magix Police force. They've expressed interest before, and we just perfected a new magical device."

"So, Dhalia." Artis began. "What are you going to do when Liam asks you the same question Perdi asked me?"

"What? Liam's not going to propose!"

The other four Classix just stared at the petite woman.

"...Okay, he might."

"Dhalia, you've known him for almost five years now. You've been business partners for four years, and you've been dating for three and a half." Artis said. "I'm surprised he hasn't proposed yet."

"I know, but..."

"Then again, I guess that's no more surprising than Perdi being the one to finally propose." Artis examined the engagement ring Perdi had gotten for her. "It certainly startled me."

"You were taking too long." Perdi said, mock-angry. "So I decided to do it instead."

"Fair enough." Artis laughed. "But back to the subject at hand. Dhalia, what are you going to say if, no, when, Liam finally does propose?""

"I..." She looked at her hands.

"Dhalia, if you don't want to, you don't have to, but he's a good man." Perdi said. "If we didn't think so we'd have told you."

"Yeah, remember what happened with Reyva's boyfriend?" Nyssa asked.

"Please, don't remind me." Reyva said. "I can't believe I trusted that jerk."

"It's okay, he got what he deserved." Artis said. "But back to the subject of Mr. Sorice. You do like him, don't you?"

Dhalia looked up. "I do, it's just that he's so..."

"Paranoid. Overprotective. Easily worried." Nyssa rattled off. "Dhalia, you know why he worries about you. After what almost happened to his sister, he has a right to be concerned. And unlike Amy, you don't have any latent powers that could save you. Given the circumstances, he's surprisingly calm about the situation."

"I still don't see the need for me to always have a magical amulet for self defense."

"Whatever." Reyva said. "The point is, that's your only major concern about him, and it's not like he's unreasonable about it. He's a great guy Dhalia."

"I know, it's just..."

"Dhalia, this isn't like you." Perdi said. "You're a brave leader, this should be easy!"

Dhalia chuckled. "Yeah, but in the war I didn't really have a choice. I could lead, or I could sit back and watch everything I love be destroyed. It's not hard to be brave when the alternative is something like that."

"Maybe so." Artis said. "But do try to think about what we said. Guys like Liam don't just come along every day."

"Yeah, I know." She smiled impishly. "I'm just not sure I want to change the business from Corvos and Sorice's to just Sorice's."

"So don't." Perdi said. "That doesn't mean you can't get married."

"I suppose not. Speaking of which, what are you two doing about your last name?"

"Um, we haven't decided yet." Perdi said.

"Well, traditionally, the bride changes her name." Reyva said. "So that brings up the question of which of you is the bride."

"She's the bride." The newlyweds said in unison. They blinked, startled. "I'm the bride." They said, again in unison. Nyssa almost fell off the bench laughing.

"Okay then, let's see if we can figure this out." Reyva said. "Artis was the one who waited at the altar for Perdi, which makes Perdi the bride."

"But Perdi was the one who proposed." Dhalia said. "That makes Artis the bride."

Artis and Perdi looked at each other.

"You got our first kiss." Perdi said. "I get our first married kiss."

"I guess that makes me the bride." Artis said. "But that doesn't quite solve our name dilemma."

"Nope. Why don't we compromise. How does Conte-Sophus sound?"

"That sounds just fine."

"Then it's settled." They sealed the deal with a kiss.

"Okay, if you two are going to get all sappy on us, I'm going to leave." Nyssa said. "I have some stuff to do for Stella anyways."

"How do you even work with that woman?" Reyva asked. "She'd drive me crazy in less than a week!"

"You get used to it." Nyssa said. "In any case, I really do need to get going. See you all later." She got up and left the room.

"I should get going too." Dhalia said. "My presentation is in a few hours and I don't want to be late." She also rose to leave.

"I can stick around for a little longer, but I have to leave tonight." Reyva said.

"I have to meet with a student soon," Perdi said, "but feel free to go on without me."

"Alright." Artis said. "I'll see you at home. Don't work too hard."

"See you later."

* * *

"I don't see why Perdi has a room at Alfea if the two of you live in the city." Reyva said as Artis locked the car. They stood in front of a beautiful little house with a picturesque lawn and a small flower bed. Flowering bushes lined the path to the house, ending at a porch with a swinging chair and a wicker sofa.

"It's part of the standard employment contract." Artis said. "Most of the faculty live on campus, so they have rooms set up for everyone." She pulled out the house key. "It's come in handy a few times when she's had to work late, or when I need to use Alfea's facilities."

"Yeah, but it's still strange."

"I guess so. Artis said as she started towards the house. "Come on in and-" She cut off, stopping in her tracks. "Move!"

A man clad in dark red burst from behind one of the bushes. In his right hand he held a knife. Artis ducked under his slash and turned to face him. More men burst from concealment. The two women now faced five opponents.

"Well, this is a problem." Reyva said.

"Yeah." Artis replied. "Just a bit."

**A/N: For those who want to know, Dhalia's full name is Dhalia Arabella Corvos. Reyva's name is Reyva Delai Perine. Nyssa doesn't really have a last name, but she usually uses Amelia's name, Galiana, when she needs one. Yet another way in which my characters don't match Winx norms.**

**That's all for now, see you all next time.**


	3. Knives

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club. **

**Well, this one took longer than I expected. Then again, it is about three thousand words long and there's no fewer than three action scenes in this one. And you all know how much I hate writing action scenes. Before we get going again on the story, I'm going to address some reviews.**

**Cyborg, the gag with the names was something I'd been planning right from the start. It was interesting and funny, and it gave me a good chance to show how the characters have grown and matured off-screen during the last five and a half years. They're still the same people, but they're not teenagers anymore. Artis is a college student on the verge of graduation, Perdi is Alfea's new librarian, Dhalia is a co-owner and co-founder of her own buisiness, Reyva is something of a celebrity and a highly skilled athlete, and Nyssa now works for Stella pretty much full time. They're adults now, not children.**

**Special thanks go out to cybercorpsesnake for joining the the party on one of my mainline stories. If you are just joining now, I highly recommend going back and reading my previous trilogy, unless you enjoy being rather confused. **

**Additionally, special mention goes to VampireNinja1706, who has been following my work for quite some time, and has finally posted what I believe to be his/her first review. I like people reading my work, but I like it even more when I get feedback from them. I read every review you guys write, and while I may not agree with all of them, I do take them into consideration. If you've been reading my work for a long time, or if you're just joining us for the first time, I would love to hear from you. Reviews are how I know what I'm doing well and what I could be doing better.**

**Now, on with the story because this A/N is getting out of hand.**

Artis stared at the five men who were threatening her and her friend. Artis the fairy from six years ago would have known instantly what to do. Artis the woman of today was no different, even if her answer had changed. Her mind whirred, flashing through possibilities. This wasn't a robbery, it was more like an assassination, or possibly a kidnapping. That meant she didn't have to be careful.

She dashed forwards at a speed that verged on inhuman. Reflexes she had spent six decades training kicked in as she moved in close to the leader of the five men, brushing his knife arm aside. Her right hand shot forwards, gripping him by the front of his shirt. He tensed in shock, giving her more than enough time to finish her move. She pivoted on one foot, reached back with her left hand to grab him, and heaved. She put her whole body into the throw, and he flew across her yard to slam into one of the brick pillars that held up the roof of her porch. The solid Victorian-esque architecture didn't even tremble as he impacted the column, sliding down like a raindrop on a window. She turned towards the four remaining opponents.

Their stunned expressions were both gratifying and reassuring. Whatever else these men might be, they weren't trained fighters. She gave a feral smile and advanced. One of the men advanced on her, his knife swinging wildly. Artis caught his knife hand and broke the wrist it was attached to before throwing him into one of her bushes with a powerful kick. She spun away from another enemy's knife as Reyva came up behind her.

What Reyva lacked in both finesse and training, she made up for with pure strength. She grabbed the man with one hand, lifting him into the air with the strength of an elite athlete who had been bred and raised to a world with a gravity a third again as strong as that of this one. With a contemptuous flick of her arm she hurled him into another attacker, causing both of them to go down in a tangle of limbs.

Artis slowly walked towards the final would-be killer. "There are several different kinds of stupid." Artis said. "There's attacking two relatively famous people. You do not want to know what I had to do to keep the media away from my wedding. I'm certain someone from some tabloid magazine is currently watching this." She calmly disarmed the man. "There's attacking two war veterans." She ducked his punch and grabbed his arm. "And there's attacking a woman who invented her own martial art and has all but mastered another." She twisted the man's arm up behind him. "And then there's what you did: combining all three." She pushed him to the ground. "Reyva, please call the police."

"Got it."

"You're the real criminal here," The man spat through clenched teeth, "and you and all of your accomplices will be brought to justice!" He reached into his shirt and pulled out a small piece of jewelry. It flared a brilliant red, blinding the two women. When the glare faded, the five men were gone.

"Great." Artis said. She reached down and picked up the knife he'd left behind. Nothing special. She would leave it for the police. Reyva was just putting her cell phone away.

"The police will be here soon." Reyva said.

"Good. Get in the car."

"What? Why?"

"He said that all of us would be 'brought to justice'. We have to check on the others."

Reyva loaded herself back into Artis's car. "Alfea first?"

"Alfea first." Artis said, starting the car. Reyva flinched at the expression on her face. "If they've hurt her..."

* * *

Dhalia was almost at the Magix Central Police Station. She carefully readjusted the strap on the bag she was carrying. She'd taken the bus into Magix and walked the rest of the way. She wasn't as fanatical about it as Reyva was, but she did like to get a little exercise on occasion. She reached the gates to the compound when a sound from behind her startled her. She turned to find four men dressed in dark red and wielding knives following her.

"Give it up girlie." The one in the lead said. "I'll make it quick."

Dhalia stared in disbelief. They were doing this right in front of Magix Police HQ? She silently promised herself that if she made it out of this situation she would never call Liam paranoid again. If she could be attacked here she could be attacked anywhere.

"I don't think so." Dhalia reached into the bag she carried and pulled out a small metal disk. It was covered in runes and glowed with magic. She pinched the small glass orb in the middle of it before throwing it at her assailants. It landed in their midst and unleashed a blast of horrible sound. Two of the men fell to their knees, clutching their ears. The other two who were farther from the device moved towards the small woman with fell intent.

"Great." Dhalia muttered. "I may be the first person in Magix history to be murdered in front of the police station." She pulled out an amulet as she leapt backwards, away from the knives. Pausing for a second, she threw the amulet to the ground where it shattered. The shards burst with energy, forming a magical wall between her and her enemies. Dhalia dug into her bag, knowing she'd only bought herself a brief respite. That amulet was still a prototype, and it would only last for five minutes, at most. She pulled out another amulet.

The shield went down and she pointed the amulet at one of her attackers. A pulse of energy burst from the silver gem, striking the man in the head. He collapsed, twitching slightly. Dhalia grinned at the success of their newest product. She pointed it at the last opponent.

"Freeze! Police!" A voice shouted. Four of Magix's finest were rushing over to help. The man hesitated, then pulled out a jewel that flared with a bright red light. He and the rest of the men vanished.

"Are you alright miss?" One of the officers asked.

"I'm fine." Dhalia stared at the empty space where the men had been just moments ago. "But what were they after?"

* * *

Perdi walked towards the library. She was due to meet with one of Alfea's more promising young fairies, a girl named Allison. She gave a wry smile at the thought. She and Allison hadn't exactly gotten off to the best of starts. Perdi's smile faded as she considered the reason for that. Allison had had every right to dislike Perdi. After all, the war had made her an orphan.

Allison's parents had both been killed during the early days of the war, before the forces of the Magic Dimension could organize themselves. The ten year old Allison had survived through a mix of pure luck and her fairy powers manifesting themselves. When she'd discovered that the librarian of her new school was one of the five women who were responsible for the war, she'd been furious.

Fortunately, Allison was a direct sort of person. She had stormed into Perdi's office, full of anger and hatred, expecting the worst. What she had not been expecting was Perdi's steadfast refusal to deny her responsibility for the death of her parents, or the way the woman attempted to reach out to her. The willingness, no, eagerness, to take responsibility was something she was ill-equipped to deal with, and in her confusion she found herself opening up to Perdi in ways she'd never expected. They had come to a truce, and although neither of them would admit it, they had settled into an odd sort of friendship.

So when Allison had asked Perdi for help with her Spring Break project, Perdi had been more than willing to help. Besides, she had to admire the girl's strength. She had suffered a great deal at a young age, but she was working through it. She excelled in her studies, constantly pushing herself. And even if she was only the fairy of weaving (a more specific and limited power Perdi had yet to encounter), she was far more powerful than her magic's source would seem to indicate.

Perdi reached her office. Allison was waiting just outside.

"Hello Allison."

"Hello Miss Soph-, er, Misses, um..." Allison trailed off, unsure of how to address Perdi.

"Misses Conte-Sophus, but you can just call me Misses Sophus." Perdi said. "Don't worry, we only just figured it out ourselves." Perdi opened the door to her office. "Come in."

They entered the librarian's office. It was small, but efficient and orderly. Perdi's desk and chair were against the back wall with two chairs in front of it. Filing cabinets lined the sides of the office while the back wall was one massive bookshelf. Perdi sat down in her chair and gestured for Allison to take one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"So, Allison, what was it you needed my help with?"

"Well, for my Magix History class, our Spring Break project is to investigate a random recent major event." Allison looked at her hands. "And I drew the war."

Perdi flinched. That was a particularly harsh stroke of luck, given the girl's history. "I see. And you came to me to get a first hand look at the war."

"Yes."

"Why me? Why not one of the Winx? Why not someone who could give you a more accurate view of the war?"

"Because you were on the front lines from the start to the finish." Allison pulled out a folder stuffed with papers. "I did some research. I already knew you were one of the five girls who started the war," Perdi sighed, although she'd known this was coming, "but when I did some research I learned that you were also present at the first battle, and almost every single major battle. In particular, the record notes your presence at the Battle of Magix, the initial battle at a place on Earth called Stonehenge, the Battle of Tir Nan Og which happened the same day, and the final major battle, again at Stonehenge. The only truly major battle you missed was the Battle of Domino, but that happened the same day as both the first Battle of Stonehenge and the Battle of Tir Nan Og so there's no way you could have fought in all three."

"You have done your research." Perdi said. "But you didn't ask me here just to show me how thorough you were, did you?"

"No." Allison pulled out another piece of paper. "There's a gap in the record. After the second battle at Stonehenge, you disappeared completely. Then, less than two weeks later, you reappear in Andros, unconscious and badly wounded. The war ends the same day when Eclipsis's son suddenly vanished. The Winx say you and your friends are somehow responsible."

"Ah." Perdi said. "Now I know what you're after."

"I want to know how the war ended. There's no official explanation."

Perdi took a deep breath. "I and my friends were indeed responsible for ending the war as well as starting it."

"Then why haven't you told anyone the full story?"

Perdi stared at her desk for a minute before answering. "Partially because we didn't think anyone would believe us. Partially because it's not an easy story to tell."

"One of your friends didn't come back." Allison said, pulling out another piece of paper. "I found an obituary for her. Amelia Galiana of Oppositus."

"Yes. But we also kept silent because some secrets are better off staying secret."

"What does that mean?"

"Some of what we encountered during that 'gap' in the record is too dangerous and too important to make public." Perdi considered the girl before her for a moment. "If you were any other student, I'd have told you to go to someone else for their extra credit. But this is personal for you, isn't it?"

"Yes. I want to know what my parents died fighting for. I have to know."

"I will tell you, on the condition that you let me read your report before you submit it. Some of this information could be very dangerous if it got out."

"Deal." Allison picked up her notebook and pen. "You can start whenever you're ready."

* * *

"And that's it." Perdi concluded. "Amelia...burned herself out...channeling the full power of Altivix. Eclipsis was forced through the portal, stripping both her and her son of the magic that made them monsters. Amelia's final act was to use the fifth and final Ember Stone to save the five of us. The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital on Andros."

"I see." Allison bit the end of her pen in thought. "Why is it so dangerous to let this information out into the world?"

"Think about what Altivix is, what it can do." Allison looked at Perdi, confused. "The immortality and the increased powers aren't the issue. It's that massive sump of magical energy. In the wrong hands, it could tear the Magic Dimension apart. Some of the spells it contains came close to doing so on their own. That much power is not something we want people to know about. Unfortunately, it's the single critical detail of the story."

"Without it your success makes no sense." Allison said. "Still, to reach it you would need to travel through Omega and Altivix itself."

"There are people who would do it." Perdi said. "They might do it for noble reasons, but not even Amelia could truly control that much magic. All she could do was act as a guide. If it were misused, or even handled incautiously..."

"You're afraid it would backfire."

"Yes. It's too dangerous to tell the world about this."

"I see. Thank you Misses Sophus. I'll be sure to show you me report before handing it in."

"You're welcome." Perdi replied. She glanced at the clock. "The bus should be here soon, would you like to wait with me?"

"Sure."

* * *

Perdi and Allison stepped out onto Alfea's quad. Allison had asked for some of Perdi's war stories to help flesh out her report. Perdi was in the middle of telling Allison about the incident that turned Dhalia's skin neon green for a week when three men burst from the concealment of the pillars surrounding the quad. They were dressed in dark red and carrying knives.

"Who are you and what are you doing on Alfea's campus?" Perdi demanded.

"You don't need to know who we are. As for why we're here, we're here for you." He pointed his knife at Perdi. He glanced at Allison. "Get out of here brat. You're not the one we're after."

"Allison, do as he says." Perdi said, staring at the man. "Get out of here. Don't worry about me, just get yourself to safety. Call for help if you can, but get out of here."

"No."

"Allison, _go_!"

"No." She transformed. Wings sprouted from her back as her school clothes shimmered and vanished. They were replaced by a simple white sleeveless dress that went down to her knees. White cuffs of fabric wrapped around her wrists. She smiled at Perdi. "I still need to show you my report."

"Allison, you can't-"

"Fight three men who want to attack my school's librarian? Just like how you couldn't fight in the war?"

"Give it up girl!" One of the men snarled. "Get out of the way and we won't hurt you."

"Allison..."

"Don't worry. Bloom's been teaching us. I think I can handle three guys with knives." She made a grabbing motion with both hands. Strips of cloth burst from the cuffs on her wrists to grab two of the men. She clapped her hands together, slamming them into each other and knocking both of them unconscious. Perdi stared, stunned. She knew Allison excelled in battle, but this was a lot more intimidating than she'd anticipated.

"Get out of here and _I_ won't hurt _you_." Allison said to the last remaining opponent. He went pale and pulled out a small jewel that flared a brilliant red. The three men vanished, leaving nothing but the two knives dropped by Allison's victims.

**A/N: Lots of action, a new character, a little more info about what some of the characters have been up to, and a mystery to be solved. Who are these men? What are they trying to do? Why are they after the Classix? And where's Nyssa? **

**That's all for this chapter, see you next time.**


	4. Previews

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club. **

**Hey guys, I'd meant to have the next chapter up by now, but some of the characters are fighting me on it because I'm putting them in situations they don't know how to deal with. Dhalia in particular is ready to chew her way through the fourth wall and strangle me. However, I still wanted to give you guys something to keep you from getting bored. **

**Think of this as a collection of previews, images from some scenes I have planned. There's not going to be enough to really tell you anything about the plot, but it does give me a chance to showcase a few of my new characters before they show up in the story. I'm not sure when or if all of these scenes will make it in, but at least some of them should. So, let's get going.**

* * *

_Artis charging across a steel floor, literally glowing with rage. Rays of magic bounce off of her as she dashes forwards. She pulls back her right hand and throws the knife she's holding._

* * *

_A small boy tentatively hugs a very awkward and stiff Nyssa. She uncertainly returns the hug while a man and woman look on in the background._

* * *

_A man in a long black coat hovers in midair, grey tendrils of magic extending from his hands. A blood red stone hangs on a chain from his neck._

* * *

_Perdi hugging a girl, covering her with her body in the middle of a burning building._

* * *

_A boy claps his hands together. A shockwave rips out from him, hurling people and objects like ragdolls._

* * *

_Dhalia facing on oncoming wall of fire, holding a black stone out on a chain._

* * *

_A person encased in solid metal in a fist fight with Reyva._

* * *

**That's all I can give you guys without spoiling something. I'm hard at work on the next chapter and I hope to have it done some time in the next week or so, but no guarantees. **


	5. Safety

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club.**

**Ugh, this took forever. I spent a long time trying to get the characters to cooperate and they still aren't happy. I also spent quite a bit of time watching various shows for inspiration and eventually ended up getting hooked on RWBY, which was about as much help as a frying pan to the face and gave me another distraction in the form of my new story MRLD, although one of the songs from the soundtrack has inspired a probable sequel to _this_ story. Oy. For the record RWBY is a heck of a lot of fun with a dangerously awesome soundtrack to back it up, but I digress. (But seriously, check out the music for it. It's incredible.)**

**Quick question from Alena: Who was stronger, Amelia, the Fariy of Magic, or Bloom, the Fairy of the Dragon Flame? Simple answer, Bloom. She had more power at her disposal, more fairy forms, and far more experience. Amelia was more versatile, with plenty of situational tricks, but in the end Bloom's sheer power makes her the strongest mortal magical being in the Magic Dimension. (Allanya, and Eclipsis don't count, seeing as they're basically minor deities, only being trumped by the Great Dragon making a personal appearance.)**

**Alright, on with the story.**

"So you have no idea who these people were?"

"No, officer, we don't." Dhalia said. The Classix had all been taken to the Magix Police station for questioning. A student from Alfea had arrived with Perdi, Artis, and Dhalia. The only person missing was Nyssa. Now the five of them sat around a table while a policewoman questioned them.

"And the only clue to their motives is that they attacked the four of you."

"Not quite." Artis said. "When I instructed my friend here to call the police, the man I had disabled said something about us being the real criminals and that we would be brought to justice." She glanced at her friends. "The only thing I can think of that he might have been referring to is our shared responsibility for the war. Which unfortunately does nothing to narrow down the pool of suspects."

"There were twelve men. They were all dressed identically and armed with identical weapons." Reyva said. "They conducted three simultaneous attacks on three different targets. They knew where to find us. They knew when they could attack. They have to be pretty well organized."

"They had access to powerful magical devices." Dhalia said. "Those stones they used to teleport can't have been easy to make. They either have a master artificer working with them, or they have a lot of money."

"Why did they attack with knives if they have access to magic like that?" Perdi asked.

"To prevent us from getting a lock on their magical signatures." the police officer stepped in again, clearly displeased that she was being ignored. "The only trace we have is the departure of their teleportation spells, and for some reason we can't get a solid signature off them."

"That adds to my theory." Dhalia said. "It's very hard to make a teleportation device to begin with because of all the variables involved. Making one that can't be traced is even harder. And, the only reason to make one like that would be for the purpose of committing a crime. They have to have a powerful person making these things for them."

"Well you can go discuss your theories elsewhere." the officer said, rubbing her forehead. "I think we've gotten all we can from you ladies. We did get some fairly good pictures on the ones who attacked Ms. Corvos, and the ones at Alfea, but with illusion magic being what it is, that's only going to be so much help. We'll let you know if anything turns up."

* * *

"Sorry I dragged you into all of this." Perdi said to Allison as they walked towards the lobby of the station.

"You didn't drag me into this at all." Allison said. "I chose to get involved."

"I'm glad you did." Artis said. "I don't believe we've ever been introduced. My name is Artis. Thank you for saving my wife." She held out her hand.

"Allison." The girl took it and shook. "I couldn't very well let them hurt her, now could I?"

"Very impressive for a fairy of weaving." Artis said.

"You would be surprised how versatile my powers can be."

"Oh?"

"It's not called 'weaving' an enchantment for nothing."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Artis asked.

"It's useful for a lot of things. Illusion magic is pretty easy, just using rays of light and threads of magic to form a covering. It's not so useful for breaking or changing things, but when it comes to creating objects, it's quite easy."

"Interesting." Dhalia said. "How would that work for something like metal?"

"It depends. If I can visualize it properly, I can weave other substances just like thread, although it is a good bit harder. I can even incorporate spells into things."

"Interesting. I never would have expected that..."

"Dhalia, wait until she's out of school before you hire her." Perdi said.

"Hire me?"

"Dhalia's the co-owner of a business that produces magical devices." Artis said. "Someone with your magic would be quite useful for her."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"It's not something they focus on at Alfea." Perdi said. "Most fairies' powers don't work very well for it. It's more of a wizard thing, although witches aren't horrible at it either."

* * *

Nyssa was waiting for them in the lobby. When she saw them emerge she hurried over. "Are you guys alright? I heard you were attacked?"

"We're fine Nyssa." Dhalia replied. "We caught them by surprise."

"Well that's good." she said, quickly looking them over. She stopped at Allison. "Hello, and who are you?"

"This is Allison, a student at Alfea." Perdi said. "She's the one who protected me."

"Really? Good work."

"It wasn't like I could just let them hurt her." Allison responded.

"Doesn't mean it wasn't well done."

"Thanks."

"So, what do we do now?" Perdi asked.

"What can we do?" Reyva replied. "We don't know who it was, we don't know how they found us, and we don't know if they'll try again. There's nothing we _can_ do."

"We can at least be more cautious." Dhalia said. "Once school starts back up again, Alfea will be the safest place for Artis and Perdi. Unfortunately Reyva has to go back to Invac soon and I have a business to run. We can't exactly hide from them."

"I don't have to go back to Invac right this second." Reyva said. "One of the perks of being an athlete is that you can usually take your work with you. I can stay in Magix for a while longer."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Dhalia said. "They attacked us here. Magix isn't the safest place to be right now."

"Then let me rephrase that. I'm not leaving you to deal with this by yourselves."

"Fine." Dhalia said. "That brings us to our next problem. Until spring break is over, there's no safe place for us to stay."

"Us? What about your company?" Perdi asked. "Don't you have to get back to it?"

"Not immediately. I called Liam to let him know about the situation here. I think he can manage the company without me for a bit." Dhalia said. "As long as he doesn't decide to come here of course. But in the meantime, we need a place to stay where they can't find us."

"I...I might have a place." Nyssa said. "Even I rarely visit it and I don't think any of you have ever been."

"Sounds like a good place."

"Sure, just...let me make a call first." Nyssa shuffled off into a corner, her phone already in her hands.

"Is it just me or does Nyssa seem a bit...tense?" Artis asked.

"Probably a reason for that." Reyva said. "I doubt we need to worry about it."

"Allison, you should probably go home now." Perdi said. "I'm grateful for your help, but we can't put you in any more danger."

"I understand." Allison nodded. "Good luck." She turned and left.

"Alright girls, we have a safe house." Nyssa said.

"Girls? We haven't been girls in years!" Reyva said, indignant.

"You're all little girls to me." Nyssa said. "Ten thousand years old, remember?"

"Says the woman barely old enough to drink."

"Come on, stop bickering you two." Artis said. "I'm getting flashbacks."

"I thought arguments were supposed to give people headaches?" Dhalia asked, amused.

"With these two, it's flashbacks. Can we go to the safe house now?"

"Fine." Nyssa said.

* * *

"There." Nyssa pointed to a moderate sized house on the left side of the street. Artis pulled the car over to the curb and parked.

"What's so special about that one?" Reyva asked.

The house wasn't much to look at. It was once a beautiful house, with elegant architecture for the porch and windows, but was somewhat shabby. The green paint was faded and the place was in need of some cleaning. Still, it had the comfortable atmosphere of a home. A child's toys cluttered the porch.

"Nyssa, why are you hiding behind Reyva?" Perdi asked.

"Um..." Nyssa never got to answer as the door opened revealing a rather agitated woman with dark hair and a small boy with brown hair.

"Nyssa, I know you're here so stop hiding." The woman's voice was somewhat raspy, but it still held the weight of authority.

Nyssa awkwardly stepped out from behind Reyva, rubbing the back of her neck. "Hi, Lucy."

"Sister!" The young boy charged off the porch to leap at Nyssa in a flying hug. Nyssa froze as the boy wrapped his arms around her. Lucy gave her a pointed look.

"Um, hi, Morgan." Nyssa said before finally relenting and awkwardly hugging her little brother back.

"You have some explaining to do." Lucy said. "But that can wait. Come inside, all of you." She turned and walked back into the house, the Classix following in her wake.

**A/N: Ugh, I'm still not happy with this, but it's been a full month since the last real chapter and if I keep trying to fix this chapter I'll never get the story finished. **


End file.
